This application claims the priority of German patent document 10 2004 041 741.5, filed Aug. 28, 2004 (PCT International Application No. PCT/EP2005/009080, filed Aug. 23, 2005), the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a sealing strip for side windows on a motor vehicle.
For sporty motor vehicles constructed in coupe form, it is frequently desirable, for design reasons, for the front and rear side windows to meet as closely to each other as possible. In particular, when a B-pillar in the region between the door line and the roof frame is dispensed with in the construction of the vehicle, guiding the side windows firmly in the roof frame at higher speeds is frequently problematic.
German patent document DE 42 03 364 C2 illustrates a motor vehicle coupe which has a front and a rear side window, and the rear side window retracts in the rear door line of the vehicle. (No rear door is provided.) A sealing strip, which is fastened to the rear side window and which has a seal for receiving the front side window, is fitted between the front and the rear side. In the closed state, both the front and the rear side windows, which are moreover configured without a door frame, are sealed by the sealing strip and by a seal in the roof frame. In this case, however, the rear side window is relatively short. In the case of four-door vehicles, with correspondingly long rear side windows, this sealing arrangement may, under some circumstances, no longer be sufficient, in particular at high speeds, in order to satisfy the demands in terms of comfort with regard to wind noises.
One object of the invention is to provide a seal for side windows on vehicles of the abovementioned type, in which wind noise is reduced in comparison to the prior art.
This and other objects and advantages are achieved by the sealing strip according to the invention, which is arranged between a retractable, frameless, front side window and a retractable, frameless, rear side window. The sealing strip reaches from a door line as far as a roof frame of the motor vehicle, and has a movable locking means fitted to it. In a closed state, the locking means engages with a locking counterpart arranged on the roof frame, so that the side window, to which the sealing strip is fastened by locking means, is locked fixedly to the roof frame of the vehicle. As a result, the tensile force, which acts on the side windows (in particular at high speeds) and pushes said windows outward, is absorbed by the locking means, and wind is reduced.
In one embodiment, the sealing strip is fastened to the rear side window on a side which faces the front side window. The sealing strip is therefore fastened to the rear side window between the rear side window and the front side window. This affords the advantage that a front door can be opened without first having to open the rear door. In particular in the case of long rear side windows, it is advantageous to allow the locking means to act on the rear side window.
Conversely, however, it may also be expedient to fasten the sealing strip with the locking means to the front side window on a side which faces the rear side window. No difference can be ascertained in this case by a person looking at it from the outside. This variant may be expedient when the front side window is significantly longer than the rear side window.
When the sealing strip is fastened to one of the two side windows, it is expedient for the sealing strip to have, in its cross section, a U-profile. This U-profile can be placed longitudinally around and adhesively bonded to the side window.
In this case, it may also be expedient to arrange a limb on the U-profile of the sealing strip, which limb likewise serves in its longitudinal extent on the sealing strip to receive a further seal. The further seal in turn seals the side window, which is not connected to the sealing strip by adhesive bonding.
In another embodiment, it may be expedient to configure the sealing strip in the form of an H-profile. The H-profile equally surrounds the two side windows that meet each other (the front side window and the rear side window). This arrangement has the advantage that the two side windows are held in the roof frame by the locking of the sealing strip. However, this requires a more complicated mechanism for opening the individual doors.
In one embodiment, the locking means is configured in the form of a locking pin running along the sealing strip. In this case, “pin” is understood as meaning an elongate object which can have any desired cross section. Moreover, it is also possible for its cross section to change over its length. This locking pin is furthermore preferably arranged in a hollow cross section in the sealing strip, with the hollow cross section of the sealing strip serving over its length as a guide for the locking pin. Apart from the secure guidance, this arrangement of the locking pin also has the advantage that it is not visible from the outside, which is advantageous visually.
In one embodiment of the invention, the locking pin engages, in a state of flow, in an opening in the roof frame. In this case, the opening in the roof frame preferably has the same cross section as the locking pin. The opening may optionally be reinforced by reinforcing sleeves or plates.
For safety reasons, it is expedient that an automatic unlocking of the locking means takes place in the event of an accident and/or in the event of a failure of the vehicle power supply and/or in the event of a malfunction of onboard electronics. Such automatic unlocking in the event of an emergency is possible, in particular, by the use of an electromagnetic or an electropneumatic actuating device for the locking means.
In a further embodiment of the invention, it is expedient that guide rails for the side windows (i.e., for the front side window and for the rear side window) are arranged in an angled manner with respect to the sealing strip such that, when a window is opened, the opening is immediately drawn away from its boundary line with the other window. This prevents tilting during opening of the doors and windows.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.